Level 4, Area B: Creation Chambers
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| This map is released under terms of the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. |
Room 8: Vat Chamber
This room has three pools filled with pink, translucent, semi-viscous liquid. There are chain and pulley systems in the ceiling along with harnesses to lower hapless stock into the pools to begin the flesh mutation process. A control panel with levers on the northeastern wall controls the pulley system, cell doors, and gas trap in rooms 5 and 6.
Three (3) robed, snake-man Emissaries (HP 23, ophidian limb(s); HP 12, thick scales; HP 17, extendable hood) are working in the chamber while two (2) baern-men (HP 15, 16) are present as guards and orderlies to handle the stock. They may have already been alerted to the character’s presence from the alarms in Rooms 5 and/or 6.
The snake men will support the baern-men with their spells and abilities and engage in melee only if necessary. They take great care to not fall or be pushed into the vats (the baern-men are not this smart.) One may attempt to use the control panel to bring additional support in the form of a monster from Room 6.
Exposure to the vats without the snake-men’s alchemical treatments can have deadly, or at best, unpredictable results. Anyone exposed by either drinking, or partial to full immersion will become sickened with a painful, debilitating disease for 2d6 days, as their flesh becomes unstable. The character will lose one (1) point of Strength per day (up to 3 minimum.) At the end of this period, the character must make a saving throw against spells or die as an amorphous, fleshy mass. Should they survive; the character will regain Strength at the same rate and have a random mutation based on their alignment:
Lawful (1d6)
1. 20% reduction in height, and a large, bulbous nose (-1 to Cha) that can find precious metals and gems by scent within 90 feet once per day
2. Thicker bone structure and epicanthic brow ridge; +1 Str, -1 Int, -1 Cha.
3. Canine ears and tail. Can blink 1d4x10 feet away in a random, cardinal direction (roll 1d8) once per day.
4. Equine head (-1 Cha) and semi-vestigial wings that can glide at character’s move speed.
5. Spiral horn on forehead and hooves for hands that grant a 1d4/1d4 attack (can no longer wield tools or weapons.) The horn can cure poison, or disease (choose one) on others once per week.
6. Aquiline head (-1 Cha) and semi-vestigial wings that can glide at the character’s move speed.
Neutral (1d6)
1. 50% reduction in size (-1 Str,) and small, vestigial insect wings; can become invisible (as spell) once per day.
2. Baboon-like face and swollen, red posterior; -2 Cha, +1 Str and additional, 1d4 bite attack.
3. Scaly, reptilian skin, and gills (-2 Cha) that can breathe underwater; can also swim at character’s move speed.
4. White-fur and ape-like features; -1 Cha and Int, +1 Str
5. Equine hind legs and tail; +10 feet to move and an additional, 1d4 kick attack.
6. Contract werebear lycanthropy
Chaotic (1d10, monsters gain no new abilities, but retain class ones)
1. Character becomes a kobb-man; -1 Str, -1 Con
2. Character becomes a gobb-man; -1 Str, -1 Cha
3. Character becomes an oor-man; +1 Str, +1 Con, -2 Cha
4. Character becomes a hobb-man; -1 Cha
5. Character becomes a gnoll; +1 Str, -1 Int, -1 Cha
6. Character becomes a baern-man; +1 Str, -1 Int, -1 Cha
7. Contract wererat lycanthropy
8. 20% increase in height, ogrish features and physique; +1 Str, +1 Con, -1 Int, -1 Cha
9. Contract werewolf lycanthropy
10. Bull horns (-1 to reactions) provide an additional 1d4 gore attack, and a 3-in-6 chance to determine direction underground.
The flesh sickness can be healed with magic to cure disease. However, once the disease has run its course, the results (both benefits and drawbacks) can only be reversed with remove curse magic.
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| Result #5 on the Lawful table is pretty much what you think it is. Beware the vats! |
Room 9: Laboratory
This central chamber is a form of laboratory with stone and wood tables. Some have straps and restraints for securing subjects of different sizes. Others have alchemical apparatuses, such as glassware, flasks, retorts, and alembics, as well as surgical tools, syringes, vials of alchemical reagents, and jars of unidentifiable, organic masses on shelves.
Some of the components and alchemical reagents in this room can also be used in a magic-user’s or alchemist’s laboratory, and count as 1,000 gold towards the cost of researching a new spell or creating a magic item.
The doors from the southwest to the east lead to the Storage Vault, Grafting, and Obervation rooms.
The hallway to the north leads to the Mutation Chamber, Flesh Workshop, and Observation enclosure.
Room 10: Flesh Workshop
This workspace has workbenches with various tools. Shelves display preserved organs and body parts belonging to several species - humanoids, animals, and monsters. There are a few parchments on the walls that show anatomical references for various species, with script in the language of Chaos.
At the GM’s discretion, some of the preserved body parts may be of value as alchemical reagents or as part of spell or magical research. However, it may require an expert hireling’s knowledge to identify them.
A portion of the shelves in the northern wall is a secret door that opens into the Venomous Vault (Room 3.)
Room 11: Mutation Chamber
This triangular room has rows of upright wooden slabs next to equipment full of alchemical liquids. A few have unconscious humanoids strapped to them, with tubes attached from the alchemical equipment. The humanoids have begun to show traces of the mutation process. The end of the room where the walls meet has a strange crystal on a pedestal.
Stepping into the hallway activates the crystal, which begins to glow and hum ominously, crackling with energy. It is a security measure to deal with anyone attempting to escape from this room, but it works for those entering as well. Entering the chamber causes the now charged crystal to fire a lightning bolt towards the entrance, which causes 5d6 points of damage (save against magic wand for half.) The crystal resets in one round (10 seconds; the GM is encouraged to count them down aloud,) and fires again if there is anyone in the room other than the humanoids on slabs.
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| The lightning crystal is effective at stopping both escaping mutants and intruders. (AI image courtesy of NightCafe) |
Room 12: Observation Room
The northern section of this room is locked from the outside with a steel door, where the snake-men place new creations for observation. There is a small port at the bottom of the steel door for feeding. The southern wall of this section is an illusion hiding a large, reinforced window with iron bars by which the snake-men are able to study their creations from the safety of the other section.
Currently, there are two (2) minotaurs (HP 23, 29) inside the observation room. The snake-men are withholding meals to see if they will turn on each other. This may yet happen, but they will work together if better prey presents itself.
Room 13: Storage Vault
The door to this room is made of stone, carved with a serpentine bas relief, and locked. This is where the snake men store rare and dangerous components, samples, and relics they use in flesh-crafting. As such, the door is trapped.
Attempting to open the door or pick the lock causes an off-center snake on the bas relief to come to life and strike the intruder (save against breath to avoid.) Once the “snake” strikes successfully, it crumbles to a fine dust cloud that permeates the victim. It is a combination alchemical contact poison and magical effect (no save) that paralyzes and holds the victim in a temporal field (similar to a time stop spell) for 1d6+3 days – enough time for the snake-men to capture the interloper alive for flesh-crafting stock.
The inside of the room is hall-like with shelves of items. There is a near-complete set of alchemical reagents and flora and fauna samples worth a total of 200 gold to an alchemist. A set of surgical, flaying, and flensing tools with serpentine handles of gold and gems is worth 500 gold total. One vial of pea-green liquid a potion of gaseous form. Another vial of amber liquid seems like a potion of invisibility, but it is one of delusion. Finally, among parchments with anatomical diagrams for various species is a set of instructions (written in Chaotic language) for building a golem made of flesh.
The shelf at the end of the hall can be moved to reveal a secret door to the Emissaries' living quarters (Room 21).
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| The snake-men keep a well-stocked apothecary used in flesh-crafting (AI image courtesy of NightCafe) |
Room 14: Grafting Room
The door to this room is made of stone and locked, with a viewing window reinforced by iron bars. The inside the room is pristine and sterile, with white-washed walls and floors, and an alchemical smell. Overhead, there are bright, hanging globes of (continual) light. Clean tables, shelves, and cabinets with surgical tools and instruments have been neatly placed and organized. In the center of the room is a table with an inert, hulking body that seems to have been stitched together from both large humanoid and serpentine or reptilian parts. It has massive, clawed hands, a snake-like head, and is covered in scales.
The body is a unique, serpent-flesh golem. If any characters search through the room for approximately 10 minutes (1 turn) or more, the golem will awaken and break through its restraints to attack. Disturbing the body also rouses it. Like other golems, it is immune to sleep, charm, and hold magic, and can only be hurt with magical weapons. It is also immune to electricity and poison. It can shed its scales to regenerate one (1) hit point per round unless damaged by fire or acid.
Serpent-flesh golem: AC 7 [12]; HD 10 (HP 46); MV 30 ft. (10 ft.); ATK 2d4/2d4 (claws), 1d8 (bite); SV fighter 10; ML 12; AL N; XP 2,300 (or HD + three specials)
The surgical tools have etched, silver handles and are of exquisite quality. The set is worth 300 gold total. A locked cabinet has a pair of silver-rimmed, magnifying spectacles resting on top of it, worth three (3) gold. Inside the cabinet, there are alchemical and magical components that are worth 1400 gold towards the creation of a flesh golem, and can be sold as such. The flesh golem instructions in Room 13 can help identify these for what they are. Behind a false back there is an even greater prize – a collection of several magic-user, cleric, and protection scrolls the snake-men use in their procedures:
Cleric scrolls
· Protection from energy (resist cold,) and protection from energy (resist fire)
· Purify food and drink (water,) and resist fire
Magic-user scrolls
· Teleport, and geas
· Cloudkill
· Confusion, and control water (part water)
· Enhance ability (strength)*, and hallucinatory terrain (massmorph)
· Protection from evil (and good,) and deflect missiles (protection from normal missiles)
· Clairvoyance, and polymorph (others)
· Sleep
* New spell (see below)
Protection scrolls
· protection from elementals
· protection from lycanthropes (x2)
· protection from magic
· protection from undead
New Spell:
Enhance Ability (Strength)
2nd-level magic-user spell
Range: Touch
Duration: One (1) hour (6 turns) plus one per level of the caster
The spell allows the magic-user to touch a character and magically increase their Strength by a number of points based on their class: cleric 1d6 or thief 1d6; fighter, dwarf, elf, or halfling 1d8; magic-user 1d4. The spell cannot raise a character’s Strength above 18. The character gains the benefits of the enhanced Strength (to hit and damage bonus,) and are able to carry twice the amount of coins in weight before becoming encumbered, until the spell ends.
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